Proximity gave England a strategic advantage. Defending near the English coast kept more senior political, administrative, naval, and army leaders within usable communications. Leicester could organize the militia and Tilbury force as a land commander comparable to Parma without being separated from the central government by the Channel. Home waters made it easier to combine specialized leaders than it was for Spain to join separately commanded forces at a distant embarkation point.
Notable Point · 23:26-24:22
Home waters keep England's command network connected
Defending close to the English coast allowed political, naval, and land commanders to remain inside the same communications network.